


A Valentine Mystery

by HyperMint



Series: Valentine's Day (Love is in the Air) [2]
Category: Magnificent Seven (TV), NCIS
Genre: 'Serial Valentine', Family, Friendship, Gen, Gifts, Old Partners, Secret Valentine, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-27
Updated: 2012-11-27
Packaged: 2017-11-19 16:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/575168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperMint/pseuds/HyperMint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The teams start receiving Valentine's Day presents. But who's really behind this?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Vin

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I'm not making anything off of this, except my own enjoyment.
> 
> The folks over at FF.net enjoyed this, maybe you will, too. But no peeking, alright? I'll move the story over here. 
> 
> Anyone know anything about the block preventing us from importing from FFnet?

Josiah Sanchez, leaning back against the airport seat, was content in the banter flying around him as he and his team waited with NCIS Special Agent Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo for his plane.

The Italian agent had been with the team since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, thanks to some well deserved downtime and everyone was sad to see him go. The eight of them had had a wonderful time together and Josiah knew that the group of them wouldn't forget anytime soon.

"Hey, Josiah," Nathan Jackson stood behind him. "Tony wants to know if we'll be visiting for Valentine's Day."

"Yeah, 'Siah," Tony grinned hopefully. "Abby's been wanting to get you guys to one of her parties for a long time now."

"We only met the team last year," JD Dunne smiled slightly. "The only reason we did, anyway, was because Tony, Chris, and Buck used to know each other as cops."

"Good times," Buck Wilmington nodded dreamily. "How I miss them."

"I don't," Tony grumbled. "I have enough crazy adventures at NCIS. And I really didn't need a reminder of the Christmas Case."

Tony and Buck shuddered as they remembered the case that had brought them and Chris Larabee into each other's paths. Tony had been a rookie cop at the time and Buck had taken the younger under his wing.

Chris, the team leader, noticeably paled at that horrible case.

Josiah, Nathan, and JD traded looks with Vin Tanner and Ezra Standish. No matter what they did, they and Tony's DC based team just couldn't get them to say another word on that case. Considering what Ziva David had told them of Tony's reaction to a joke taken too far, they really weren't all that sure they wanted to know.

Tony tilted his head to the side and frowned as his flight was called. "Well, boys, it's been fun."

"We'll definitely come see you on the 14th," JD nodded. The others tentatively agreed, though they probably would spend that V-Day in DC with their friends.

"Alright… Well, Sarge, Chief, boys, see you in two weeks."

Ezra smiled and nodded while the others got their third round of good-byes. Vin clasped his friend's forearm and Tony pulled the Texan into a hug.

'Vin's come a long way,' Josiah noted as Vin squeezed right back. It used to be that Vin wouldn't stand a hug. Now, the friends were working on having the Texan initiate them.

The boys stuck around to see Tony's plane safely off the ground then went back to the office for some loose ends.

It was when Buck was the first one off the elevator that things really started getting interesting.

"Hey, Junior, I think you've got a secret admirer!" The big man crowed as he headed toward the sharpshooter's desk.

There, in the space in front of the computer, was a wrapped box no bigger than a tissue box. It was wrapped in a heart designed wrapping paper and didn't have an accompanying note or anything to give away the identity of the sender.

"I bet it's Miss Carla in Team One," JD said, also heading over to his teammate's desk. "She seems to like Vin."

"Not unless her girl wants a trio," Buck laughed at the look on his roomie's face. "Heck, kid, why did you think I left the girl alone?"

"Should we scan it?" Nathan wanted to know, studying the box on the desk.

"Vin?" Chris prodded. "Your call."

"Nah," the Texan smiled slightly, eyes shining shyly. "I think I know who's behind it."

He picked it up and slowly began to unwrap it. As the last of the paper was taken off, the Seven saw that it really was a tissue box filled with tissue paper. The top of the box had been cut off.

"What's in it?" JD questioned. Vin carefully parted the red paper and smiled at what he found.

"A dream catcher," Ezra breathed from beside his friend. It was very pretty; there were three feathers tied to the sides and there was an eagle-shaped bead tied into the middle. The strings were a soothing blue, the feathers light brown, and the ring itself was a pine green. It was also far from perfect, but the energy and attempt was what made all the difference.

"Not many people can make a dream catcher," Josiah noted.

Chris had to wonder about the soft look on his brother's face. It was like he was thinking of a family member… or a very cherished friend.

 

 


	2. Nathan

**

Nathan Jackson smiled as he walked into the team's office.

It was a clear, but cold, day for once and he and his girlfriend, Rain, were both treated to a wonderful sunrise to start out their respective days.

"Good morning, Brother Nathan," Josiah grinned as his friend settled into the desk next to his.

"With that kind of send-off, it really is."

Buck, already hard at work, looked up and blinked at him. "Rain spending the night again?"

Vin, upper left corner of the desk touching Ezra's, quirked a smile. "Pretty start to the mornin', Buck. 'Specially pretty on the roof."

"A message for us weary mortals," Josiah intoned.

"Here's a new message," Chris growled, standing in his doorway. "Get to work!"

* * *

When Nathan wandered into the office after having lunch with a relative in town for a few hours, he stopped short at the small box in front of his computer monitor.

"Hey, Nate," JD trailed after him. "What's in the box?"

"Looks like Junior's secret admirer is up to sharin'," Buck grinned, coming back from the break room.

"Hey, Vin," JD spotted the Texan as he and Ezra stepped out of the stairwell. "Nate's got something from your secret admirer."

"What is it?" Vin joined the others at the medic's desk. "Another dream catcher?"

Nathan looked at him and frowned. "I don't suppose you know who this person is? The one who gave this to me?"

"S'ppose."

"You trust this person, Junior?" Buck wanted to know.

"Don't worry, Nate, Buck. The one who got it is a good person." That's all he would say on the matter.

Chris walked in just as Nathan took the top off the box. "Another one?" The blond questioned his oldest friend.

"Yup," Buck nodded as they watched Nathan's face display first exasperation, wonder, then amusement at his valentine.

"I see Brother Nathan has a valentine for himself," Josiah wandered in from the elevator. "What's it this time?"

Carefully, Nathan extracted his gift and the others had to laugh.

The glass-blown apple was a beautiful mix of red and sparkling white, turning pink in some places. The stem was a dark brown and the leaf was a beautiful shade of emerald green.

"Someone's got your number, Nate," Buck grinned widely. He felt that it was a fitting gift for their healthy-minded teammate.

"It's quite a beautiful piece of work, Mr. Jackson," Ezra complimented.

"It really is," Nathan agreed. The medic adoringly placed it on his side of the computer and grinned. "I'd like to have my secret admirer around so's I can thank them. It's probably the best Valentine's Day gift a person's ever gotten me. Well, one that doesn't have anything to do with chocolate."

JD smiled slightly. "Well, I can't think of a more perfect present to give to a medic."

Chris quirked his own smile. 'Well, I suppose it can't hurt to have a secret admirer. So long as no-one feels endangered. I bet it's someone in the office somewhere.'

Looking to the side, Nathan spotted a smiling Vin. "Vin, you knew about this apple?"

"Nope," Vin could honestly be truthful. He really didn't know what was in that particular box.

"You just know who this person is, don't ya?" Buck sighed. "Alright, Junior. Have it your way. The truth will come out eventually, mark my words."

* * *

Awhile later, Chris came back from a meeting to see his team of supposedly highly-seasoned men all crowded together around JD's computer, laughing.

"What's going on here?" Chris sighed. 'Kindergartners, more like it.'

" _Hey, Chris! Welcome to the party!"_ Abigail "Abby" Scuito's voice came out of JD's speakers.

"Ain't it nine o'clock over there?" Buck looked at the clock to see it close to being seven.

" _Just about. So, Tony's still upstairs. If you guys want, I can send Palmer to go get him."_

Chris walked over to see the screen, noting Abby in her lab, as well as both Agent Timothy "Probie" McGee and newly minted Agent Ziva "Probie Jr." David. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Coffee run," Nathan said. "Oh, it appears that me'n'Vin have ourselves a secret admirer."

" _Do tell!"_ Abby grinned as Ziva frowned. _"_

_What were you and Vin given, Nathan?"_

Nathan proudly showed his apple to his DC friends while Vin answered the Israeli. "His apple and I got a dream catcher."

"It's already on his wall," Chris smiled slightly, remembering seeing it when picking his friend up that morning.

" _Well, you guys know who it is?"_ McGee questioned.

"Someone does, but he ain't talkin'," Buck lifted a shoulder. "He can keep his secrets, but we always find out who it is."

"Rest assured," Ezra nodded. "I am, however, curious to see if only two of our number has attracted our fan's attention."

"Maybe, you think, others in the building got one, too, right?" JD asked excitedly.

"Possible," Chris nodded.

" _Yeah, like one of those Secret Santas, only in Valentines,"_ Abby put out.

McGee's phone rang and the agent turned to take it, while the others continued with their speculations about the 'Serial Valentine', as Abby and JD dubbed.

" _Guys, that was Tony,"_ McGee told them. _"We have a case and have to go."_

"Well, we'll be talkin' to you folks later, then," Buck said as both Ziva and McGee immediately shot off.

" _Sure, sure,"_ Abby nodded, black pigtails swinging in time with her head. _"Oh, and keep me updated on the Serial Valentine case."_

"On it, Boss Lady Abby, Ma'am!" JD grinned, firing off a salute.

" _That's 'Miss Boss Lady Abby' to you!"_

* * *

Getting near midnight, Tony DiNozzo was on the Midnight Coffee Run (MCR) when his phone rang. "DiNozzo. Whatever it was, I have an alibi."

He grinned as he heard a familiar voice on the other end. "Sure. Glad it was well received." Letting the other person talk, Tony collected his order(s) and turned to leave. "Nah, piece of cake... It really will, I hope. So, can you tell me… Alright, alright. I still think we should have compared notes…"


End file.
